Over 6,000 people have fled their homes in Gambia and Senegal due tot clashes between Senegalese soldiers and separatists close to the Gambian border. The numbers of displaced peoples came in from the National Disaster Management Agency in the Gambia on Tuesday.
An operation by the Senegalese military against rebels fighting for independence in the southern Casamance region began on March 13. 691 people in Casamance were pushed over the border to seek refuge in Gambia. 5,626 people were then displaced inside the Gambia borders after Senegalese bullets began landing in border villages. The Casamance separatist movement dates back to 1982, but has largely been dormant since a ceasefire in 2014. Populations assisting the affected are in need of humanitarian aid according to the NDMA.
Read more: Over 6,000 displaced in Gambia, Senegal after Casamance mission
